Djokovic Sends Out Dogs Trust Appeal

London, U.K.

If an abandoned London pooch finds herself a home, she’ll have World No. 1 Novak Djokovic to thank after the Serb sent out a special appeal on Facebook and Twitter yesterday.

Djokovic and his girlfriend, Jelena Ristic, along with their dog, Pierre, were introduced to a one-year-old Goldendoodle from UK rescue charity Dogs Trust and after renaming her, were moved to try and help find her a new home.

Originally called Honey, the energetic pooch arrived at Dogs Trust Canterbury Rehoming Centre this week after her previous owners could no longer care for her. She is now hoping her brush with Djokovic, Pierre and Jelena will increase her chances of finding a new home.

Writing on his Facebook and Twitter feeds, Djokovic told his fans, “This morning my friends from Dog Trust came to see me and brought along a play date for Pierre. She is a beautiful 1 year old Goldendoodle, who was just recently left by her owners. Jelena and I named her Bella because she is so beautiful and white (in Serbian white is Bela too).

“So I committed to helping them find her a new family. If you are interested or know someone who could be interested in this little friend, contact them through this telephone number 020 7837 0006 (only in UK) or on their website www.dogstrust.org.uk. Let's find her home! Everyone deserves to have a family! #ahome4bella”

Dogs Trust told ATPWorldTour.com that while Djokovic’s message has encouraged lots of people to phone in, so far a suitable home has not been found for Bella.

“Bella seemed more interested in the tennis balls, but it was great to meet her and I hope she finds a new home soon,” said Djokovic. “I love dogs, so meeting Bella and getting to rename her was a real pleasure. She looks like she has the making of a great ball girl/dog!"

Dogs Trust is the UK's largest dog welfare charity and cares for over 16,000 stray and abandoned dogs each year through its network of 18 Rehoming centres across the UK and one in Dublin. Anyone interested in offering a Dogs Trust dog a home should visit www.dogstrust.org.uk to find their nearest rehoming centre or call 020 7837 0006.